New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-07-27
RURAL TOPICS
indications that the Condition OF
Farmers will improve In the Near
Future-IndustriaI NoteS
some Favorable Prospects.

perity for several years, says The
Chicago Times. Prices from all the
products Of the farm, garden, s,nd
orchard have been very low. The on
ly animals that have sold at good
figures have been horses and mules.
The market for almost every kind of
fern product has been overstocked,
even when crops have been light over
considerable portion Of the country.
The past few seasons have been very
unfavorable tor crops in several states
and territories. For q year and a half
there has been deficiency OF rain
throughout the northwest. The lack
of moisture largely reduced the crops
of oats, corn, and potatoes. In some
sections the deficient supply of water
prevented farm animals from gaining
rapidly. The price Of most of tho
manufactured goods that farmers have
been obliged to buy has been high.
Farmers have been heavily taxed for
the protection Of all the manufacture
ing industries. They have also been
taxed to pay bonds issued to secure the
constructions of railroads, to erect
bridges, school-houses, and county
buildings. In many cases they have
been taxed to pay debts'that other peo-
pie contracted.
Apparently there have been too many
farmers. There has been an overpro-
duction of every kind of grain and
meat. This has been to q great extent
the effect of the many inducements
thathave been held out to foreigners
to eome'to this country and engage in
farming. All the >sparely- settled states
and territories have been trying to en-
courage persons to come and take up
unoccuped land. They have published
pamphlets setting forth how easy it
was to acquire farms, to improve them,
and to make money by raising grain
and breeding cattle, and have scattered
them broadcast over the world. In
many cases they have been printed in
several languages, and men have been
+ sent to distant lands5to circulate them.
/ POLITICIANS in the new territories have
been DESTROYS of having the population
increased so they could be adm tied in
] to the union and they could be elected
governors and senators. They wanted
large crop of votes to harvest, and
the only way they saw to secure it was
+ to import, men who would engage in
raising crops of wheat, oats, and corn
All thelland-grant railway companies
have done their part to increase the
mum ber of farmers. They wanted to
get money for their land They want
ed grain and cattle to carry to market
at exorbitant prices, and they also
wanted men to pay the construction
bonds that had beemvoted These roads
greatly increased the number of farm
ers, Who, as a matter OF course, brought
down prices by the multitude of cattle
and hogs and the great amount Of
grain theyssent to market The home
stead, pre- emption. and forest-tree, Gull
ture acts all tended to increase the
number of farmers. Giving land to
anyone who would occupy it and raise
crops on it was like, offering chromos
to persons who would subscribe for
newspapers or buy goods at a corner
grocery. The farms, like the papers
and cakes of'soap, went off like hot
cakes.' A territory in which little or no
manufacturing or mining was done
would raise. four times as much grain
and meat rs the Inhabitants could con:
sumo. The surplus went to the great
markets oft the country and helped
cause reduction in prices.
The range and ranch business has
been very Injurious to persons who
raised cattle and sheep on land they
owned and on which they were COM
PEELED to pay taxes. The cattle barons
had few expenses. They occupied land
belonging to- the people at large. They
paid no taxes. They provided NO
shelter tor their stock, harvested no
hay for them, land fed them no grain.
The food.eaten bY,a herd Of ten thou
sand cattle, oraa flock Of twenty thou
sand sheep, cost no more than the air
they breathed. "A branding -iron, a few
Indian ponies, some cheap saddles and
briddles aand the pay of the COW boys
constituted.,alm the only item of ex-
gpense. The cost of raising sheep on
lthe greatgplains was even less than that
OF raising scattle. The beef, mutton.
and wool tarodueed on the ranch ant.
range came into direct ,.competition.
with those produced on improved
farms. That the price of meat and
wool shouldbe low under these circum-
so1TAuCes 10 Hes1,>sttsauSe. IeOple can sell
articles that.Sost them next to nothing
at "a low price ;;and>still make anloney.
Persons who have been to the ex-
pease of purchasing and iasproving
farms may derive some consolation and
acknowledgements from thinking shat the
public land available for general agri-
oults4sal purposes is,aearly all 6dispos-
ed OF. The like lis true of the large
amauzt of land granted to sgilway
companies. There is .Vesry little Land in
the saaantry capable of iI1roducng.co corn
that does not belan grto individuals, and
is GsatdSevoted to that purpose as often
as it is prudent to do SO. According to
the repasts published in the far-West
papers tue range cattle business is sub
stantfaliy played QUIT A Denver
journal states that the cast genesal
ground slp'' in Colorado will 6e bals